This invention relates generally to a mount for spherical bearings and more particularly to a one-piece strong uniform thickness metal flange mount.
Present designs of flange mounts are generally of two types. One-piece machined cast flanges; and two-piece pressed steel flanges. The flange mounts include two, three and four or more holes for mounting the flange plate to an associated support.
The cast type machined are relatively expensive to process and machine to meet the typical heavy duty service for which they are intended. The surface to which they are attached must be relatively flat for if it is uneven, the units may fracture when secured to the attachment surface.
Pressed metal flange units are relatively economical. However, they are intended for light-duty applications. They generally do not support or accommodate heavy or large radial, thrust and moment loads. Generally, the flange mounts include central portions which project past the mounting face. This requires the user to provide an opening for accommodating the projection. Pressed metal flange units are generally made of two or more mating pieces with attendant adaptations and assembly expenses. Those including lubrication fittings require means for preventing escape of the lubricant. Their most serious drawback is their inclination to bind the bearing they are intended to support because of radial mismatch of the separable mating halves that are clamped together and to a support.
There has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,691 a one-piece pressed steel flange mount. The mount disclosed in said patent includes a bearing mounting flange having an inner surface with a portion from the center of the flange to one end which is generally of spherical contour and a portion extending from the center to the other end which is generally of cylindrical contour. The cylindrical portion is provided with a bead or the like which extends inwardly to retain an inserted bearing. This forms, together with the spherical portion, an internal surface for retaining the associated bearing. Another embodiment is described in which the mounting flange extends beyond the face of the flange plate. The flange itself is arched and beaded to provide a partially spherical bearing housing. The bearing housing may be provided with slots for mounting the associated bearing. The mount permits some self-alignment of the bearing.
Under heavy duty conditions encountered in farm machinery and industrial uses, the bearing is subjected to impact and heavy axial and radial loads. If the bearing is not intimately held in the housing with good contact throughout its spherical surface, there is a tendency to move under the applied loads. The result is that the contacting portions wear and the mount loosens whereby there is increased movement and finally damage and destruction of the mount. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,275, assigned to the same assignee, and which was copending with U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,641 there is described a mount adapted to hold and mount a bearing in a plurality position.